Lexi Webster
In 2018, an Australian man named Sam Ballard died eight years after eating a slug on a dare. The slug was infected with rat lungworm, a parasite that infested Ballard's brain, causing him to fall into a coma for 420 days and leaving him paralysed. While rat lungworm disease typically causes mild symptoms, Ballard's case was an outlier, with the parasite causing significant brain injuries and ultimately leading to his death at the age of 28. This tragic incident has brought attention to the potential dangers of consuming raw or undercooked gastropods and the risk of contracting parasitic infections from them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Sam Ballard |
| Age | 19 years old |
| Year | 2010 |
| Location | Sydney, Australia |
| Occasion | Weekend get-together with friends |
| Dare | Eat a slug |
| Disease contracted | Rat lungworm disease |
| Parasite | Angiostrongylus cantonensis |
| Symptoms | Severe pain in legs, vomiting, dizzy spells, coma, paralysis |
| Survival years | 8 years |
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What You'll Learn
Sam Ballard ate a slug as a dare
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard, a promising rugby player from Sydney, Australia, was enjoying a "red wine appreciation night" with his friends when a slug crawled across the table. On a dare, Ballard ate the slug.
Initially, everything seemed fine, and the group of friends continued their evening as usual. However, within a few days, Ballard began experiencing severe pain in his legs, along with vomiting and dizzy spells. His condition worsened, and he was rushed to the hospital by his mother. It was discovered that Ballard had contracted rat lungworm, a parasite usually found in rodents that can be transmitted to snails and slugs if they consume rat faeces containing the parasite's larvae. Once ingested by humans, the parasite can penetrate the intestinal tract, work its way into the liver and lungs, and eventually enter the central nervous system.
The rat lungworm infection led to Ballard developing a severe case of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, a type of meningitis. He fell into a coma that lasted 420 days and woke up paralysed, unable to eat without a tube or move without significant effort. He required 24-hour care and was left paraplegic, paralysed from the waist down.
Despite the dedicated care of his mother, Katie Ballard, and the support of his friends, Ballard's health complications persisted. He lived for eight more years, passing away at the age of 28 or 29. His last words to his mother were, "I love you."
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He contracted rat lungworm disease
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard, a promising rugby player from Sydney, Australia, was at a friend's house for a "red wine appreciation night" with a group of friends. At some point during the night, a slug crawled onto the table, and Ballard was dared to eat it. He did so, not knowing that the slug carried a potentially deadly parasite.
Within a few days, Ballard started experiencing severe pain in his legs, followed by vomiting and dizzy spells. He was eventually diagnosed with rat lungworm disease, a condition caused by the parasitic worm Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which is usually found in rodents. The parasite lodges in the lungs of rats and is later excreted in their faeces. Slugs and snails can then become infected by consuming the rat faeces, and the parasite can be transmitted to humans if they eat raw or undercooked contaminated slugs or snails.
Once ingested, the rat lungworm parasite can penetrate the intestinal tract, work its way into the liver and lungs, and then into the central nervous system. In most cases, rat lungworm disease causes only mild symptoms, and most people recover within a matter of days or weeks. However, in rare instances, the symptoms can be much more severe, as was the case with Ballard. He fell into a coma that lasted 420 days and woke up paralysed, unable to eat without a tube or move without assistance. He suffered significant brain injuries and was left paralysed from the waist down.
Despite the dedicated care of his mother and the support of his friends, Ballard died eight years after consuming the slug. His case brought newfound awareness to rat lungworm disease, which has spread to more than 30 countries worldwide, with at least 2,800 cases of infection reported.
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He was in a coma for 420 days
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard, a promising rugby player from Sydney, Australia, was enjoying a weekend get-together with friends. As the group was drinking red wine, a slug crawled onto the table, and on a dare, Ballard ate it. At first, everything seemed fine, and the friends carried on as usual. However, within a few days, Ballard started experiencing severe pain in his legs, followed by vomiting and dizzy spells. His condition worsened, and he was rushed to the hospital by his mother.
Little did they know that this hospital visit would result in a 420-day-long coma. Ballard had contracted a rare parasite known as rat lungworm from the slug. This parasite, with the scientific name Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is typically found in rodents and can be passed on to snails and slugs if they consume rat faeces containing its larvae. Once ingested by humans, the parasite can penetrate the intestine, traverse the nervous system, and reach the brain.
During his coma, Ballard suffered severe brain injuries, and when he finally woke up, he was paralysed. He was left as a paraplegic, unable to eat without a tube or move without immense effort, and requiring 24-hour care. Despite the physical challenges, Ballard's mental faculties remained intact, and he continued to spend time with his friends, who stuck by him throughout his ordeal.
For eight years after he emerged from the coma, Ballard lived with the consequences of his decision that fateful night. Finally, in 2018, at the age of 28, Ballard passed away, surrounded by his family and close friends. His last words to his mother were, "I love you."
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He was paralysed for eight years
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard, a promising rugby player from Sydney, Australia, was enjoying a weekend get-together with friends when he decided to eat a slug. It was a random decision influenced by wine, as the teenager attempted to act like a grown-up. However, this decision would change his life forever.
Within a few days, Sam began experiencing severe pain in his legs, followed by vomiting and dizzy spells. His condition worsened, and he was rushed to the hospital by his mother. Little did they know that this hospital visit would mark the beginning of a long and challenging journey for Sam. He was diagnosed with rat lungworm disease, a condition caused by a parasitic worm usually found in rodents. The parasite had infested his brain, and he fell into a coma that lasted 420 days.
When Sam finally woke up from the coma, he was paralysed, unable to eat without a tube, and required 24-hour care, seven days a week. The disease had severely impacted his physical abilities, but his mental faculties remained intact. He was left paraplegic, paralysed from the waist down, and confined to a wheelchair.
For eight long years, Sam lived with the consequences of his decision. He was surrounded by a loving family and loyal friends who stood by his side throughout his ordeal. They visited him often, watched rugby with him, and provided emotional support. Despite their best efforts, Sam's condition remained unchanged, and he continued to live with the paralysis.
During these eight years, Sam's life was drastically different from what it used to be. He had to adapt to a new, limited world, relying on others for his basic needs and mobility. It was a challenging and emotional journey for both Sam and his loved ones.
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He died aged 28 or 29
Sam Ballard, an Australian man, died at the age of 28 or 29, eight years after eating a slug on a dare. The slug was infected with rat lungworm, a parasite that infested Ballard's brain, causing severe medical complications.
In 2010, 19-year-old Ballard, a rugby player from Sydney, was drinking with friends when he was dared to eat a slug that had crawled onto the table. Within a few days, Ballard started experiencing severe pain in his legs, followed by vomiting and dizzy spells. He was eventually diagnosed with rat lungworm disease, caused by the parasitic worm Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which had penetrated his intestinal tract and worked its way into his brain.
As a result of the infection, Ballard fell into a coma that lasted 420 days. He woke up paralysed, unable to eat or move without assistance. Despite requiring 24-hour care and being left paraplegic, Ballard's mental faculties remained intact. His friends and family stood by him, and he lived for another eight years before passing away, surrounded by his loved ones.
The case of Sam Ballard brought attention to the potential dangers of rat lungworm disease, which has spread to over 30 countries worldwide. While most people recover from the illness, there are rare instances of severe symptoms and complications, as seen in Ballard's tragic case.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. In 2018, 28-year-old Sam Ballard passed away eight years after consuming a slug infected with rat lungworm.
Within a few days, Ballard started to experience severe pain in his legs, followed by vomiting and dizzy spells. He was subsequently diagnosed with rat lungworm disease, which led to a 420-day coma and paralysis.
In 2010, during a "'red wine appreciation night'" with friends, the then 19-year-old Ballard was dared to eat a slug. Unfortunately, the slug was infected with a parasite, leading to severe health complications and ultimately his death.
